My family moved from the city of Calgary to Nelson, British Columbia to slow down and lower our cost of living. Both parents left high-stress office routines: my wife quit her job and I continued in a remote position. Rent for a modest three-bedroom heritage house was C$1,600 monthly. The children, ages 8 and 10, attend school full-time so there are no childcare costs. We reduced vehicle ownership from two cars to one, bought a used e-bike, and cut takeout and convenience spending. These changes reduced gas, insurance, parking, and time pressure, improving mental health, family time, and stress levels.
When we finally paused to ask ourselves why we were living that way, the answer was simple: money. We needed to earn enough to sustain our expensive lifestyle, which meant working jobs that left us depleted, sacrificing our mental health, and rarely having quality time as a family. So we made a bold decision: My wife quit her job, I stayed on in a remote position, and we left the city behind to lower our cost of living .
With gas, car insurance, parking downtown, and all the "convenience" spending that comes with being short on time, we felt like we were treading water financially. When we started looking at Nelson, finding a home for our family in the idyllic mountain town felt like a bit of a fantasy. Then we came across a modest three-bedroom heritage house for rent at C$1,600 a month, much less than a similar place would've cost us in the city.
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